Door with control device



y 18, 1967 o. c. ECKEL 3,331,160

DOOR WITH CONTROL DEVICE Filed Dec. 6, 1965 532 va WM a.

United States Patent 3,331,160 DOOR WITH CONTROL DEVICE Oliver C. Eckel, Weston, Mass. (P.O. Box 226, Cambridge, Mass. 02138) Filed Dec. 6, 1965, Ser. No. 515,295 4 Claims. (Cl. 49-386) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A door in combination with a door jamb respectively have a spring and a guide that cooperate to limit out ward movement of the door and return it to normal position automatically. A slanting guide is attached to the door jamb, and one or more spring leaves are attached to the door and an end portion of the outer leaf normally contacts said guide which contact continues as the door opens, thus compressing said leaf to thereby automatically return the door to normal position when pressure due to opening the door ceases.

One object of my invention is to provide a door With an improved control device for a door whereby simple spring leaf means returns a door automatically to closed or normal position.

Another object is to provide such a spring leaf means that provides a yielding force somewhat opposing movement of the door and thus tends to hold the door in normal or closed position against a relatively light force such as air blowing against it or a light push given to it.

A further object is to provide improved guide means for said control device having a fixed member separate from the door against which the spring leaf means presses and deforms under compression as a door moves to, open position.

A still further object is to provide such guide means that is simple and certain in operation, very durable, can be installed by an unskilled workman, and the cost of manufacture is relatively small.

The foregoing and other objects which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction, combination and operative arrangement of parts such as is disclosed by the drawing. The nature of the invention is such as to render it susceptible to various changes and modifications, and therefore, I am not to be limited to the construction disclosed by the drawing, nor to the particular parts described in the specification; but am entitled to all such changes therefrom as fall within the scope of my claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, front elevational view showing a door in normal or closed position with my device attached to the body, and guides attached to the head jamb in contact with said device.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 2, but showing the door in partly open position.

As illustrated, my door has the usual door body having a movable supporting member 12 such as a hollow, rotatable post shown, and that could be rotatably set in a bearing, not shown, or otherwise movably mounted in a well known way. Outside said door body is the usual head jamb 16, there being shown the upper frame thereof. A metal or plastic plug 18 extends partly into said post and it is held by a pin 19 that extends through a lower part thereof and is set in said post. Said plug has a slot 20 to receive spring leaves of a control device 28 later described. Also this plug movably extends into head jamb 16.

As shown, an angle guide 22 is fixedly attached to said head jamb at the inner side of the door, while another angle guide 24 is shown attached at the outer side thereof. Both said guides are held by screws 26. If a door were to be swung in one direction only then one said guide would be sufiicient.

Said holding device 28, as shown, has a spring leaf cluster of three leaves 30a, 30b, and 300 normally extending straight. If a door is especially heavy or conditions call for increased tension one or more of said leaves 30a, 30b and 300 would be used, but even one is not essential in all instances. Outside of said leaves 30a, 30b and 300 is a spring leaf 31 that extends diagonally outward for one-half or more of its length, preferably terminating in a diagonal, outer end portion 32 that extends inwardly or towards said three leaves. Outside of said leaves 30a, 30b and 300; but laterally opposite and partly spaced from said leaf 31 is another leaf 34 that extends diagonally outward for one-half or more of its length, terminating in a diagonal, outer end portion 36 that extends in a direction towards saidend portion 32 and to- Wards said three leaves. If a door were to be opened in one direction then one only of said leaves 31 or 34 could serve the purpose.

Said leaves 30a, 30b and 300, as Well as said leaves 31 and 34 extend into said plug slot 20 above said post 12, and are attached thereto by a pin 38 that extends through all of said leaves as well as into said plug 18.

Said leaves may be made of spring steel that is well known, or any other suitable, resilient material that permits bending or distortion when pressure is applied to them, forcing them hard against a guide 31 or 34.

What I claim is:

1. A door in combination with a head jamb spaced from the top margin of said door, a guide attached to said head jamb within Said space and extending diagonally therefrom with respect to the plane of the door in its closed position, said door comprising a body having a movable supporting member pivotally mounting the door, a control device embodying a first spring leaf an end portion of which is attached to said supporting member and extending laterally and diagonally outward from the point of attachment, another portion of said first leaf extending outwardly beyond said latter portion and extending diagonally in a direction opposite to said latter portion and parallel with said guide, said other leaf portion contacting said guide normally and when said door is moved to open position.

2. A door in combination with a door jamb as set forth in claim 1, a second spring leaf an end portion of which is attached to said supporting member and extending laterally and diagonally outward from the latter point of attachment and away from said first spring leaf, another guide attached to said door jamb and extending diagonally therefrom and positioned in the path of movement of said door that is the opposite of the first-mentioned path, another portion of said second leaf extending outwardly, beyond said attached portion diagonally in a direction opposite to said latter portion and parallel with said other guide and contacting said guide normally.

3. A door in combination with a head jamb spaced from the top margin of said door, a guide attached to said head jamb within said space and extending diagonally therefrom with respect to the plane of the door in its closed position, said door comprising a body having a movable supporting member pivotally mounting the door, a control device embodying a first spring leaf an end portion of which is attached to said supporting member aad extending laterally and diagonally outward from the po.nt of attachment, another portion of said first leaf extending outwardly beyond said latter portion and extending diagonally in a direction opposite to said latter portion and parallel with said guide, said other portion contacting said guide normally, another guide attached to said head jamb, and extending diagonally therefrom and laterally spaced from and opposite said first-mentioned guide and positioned in the path of movement of said door opposite to that of the first path of movement, said control device embodying a second spring leaf an end portion of which is attached to said supporting memher, and extending laterally and diagonally outward from the point of attachment in a diverging direction from said first spring leaf, another portion of said second leaf beyond said latter portion extending in a direction parallel to said second guide and being positioned so as to contact said other guide normally and a third spring leaf attached to said supporting member extending between and spaced for part of its length from said first-men- 15 tioned two leaves.

4. A door in combination with a head jamb as set forth in claim 3, and a fourth spring leaf in contact with said third spring leaf and being attached at an end portion to said supporting member and spaced for part of its length from said first-mentioned two leaves.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,090,562 3/1914 Orr et al 49-386 X 2,279,572 4/1942 Kann 49-386 X 2,358,143 9/1944 Castor 149-396 X 2,584,404 2/1952 Webb 1672 X DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

KENNETH DOWNEY, Examiner. 

1. A DOOR IN COMBINATION WITH A HEAD JAMB SPACED FROM THE TOP MARGIN OF SAID DOOR, A GUIDE ATTACHED TO SAID HEAD JAMB WITHIN SAID SPACE AND EXTENDING DIAGONALLY THEREFROM WITH RESPECT TO THE PLANE OF THE DOOR IN ITS CLOSED POSITION, SAID DOOR COMPRISING A BODY HAVING A MOVABLE SUPPORTING MEMBER PIVOTALLY MOUNTING THE DOOR, A CONTROL DEVICE EMBODYING A FIRST SPRING LEAF AN END PORTION OF WHICH IS ATTACHED TO SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER AND EXTENDING LATERALLY AND DIAGONALLY OUTWARD FROM THE POINT OF ATTACHMENT, ANOTHER PORTION OF SAID FIRST LEAF EXTENDING OUTWARDLY BEYOND SAID LATTER PORTION AND EXTENDING DIAGONALLY IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO SAID LATTER PORTION AND PARALLEL WITH SAID GUIDE, SAID OTHER LEAF PORTION CONTACTING SAID GUIDE NORMALLY AND WHEN SAID DOOR IS MOVED TO OPEN POSITION. 